Semi-convertible car.



N v ,szs. PATENTED PEB.11,'1908.

8 8 B. T. ROBINSON.

SEMI CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 190'].

2 SHEBTSSIHEET 1.

THE NORRIS I'BTERS co., wAsumarcm-nrn No. 878,828. PATENTED FEB. 11,1908.

V E. T. ROBINSON.

SEMI GONVERTIBLE GAB. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1907.

zfiogaizaaia 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARDT. ROBINSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ST. LOUIS GARCOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

SEMI-CONVERTIBLE CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed July 29.1907. Serial No. 386.022.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Semi-Oonvertib-leCars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the aocompanymg drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a semi-convertible car that is rendered suitablefor use in closed form for winter service and in open form for summerservice by reason of the car window sashes being so mounted in the wallsof the carthat they may be positioned to entirely close the windowopenings or elevated into the deck of the car in order that the windowopenings may be unobstructed for the free passage of air therethrough.

Figure I is an elevation of a portion of my car at the location of oneof its windows. Fig. II is a vertical section taken through the partsillustrated in Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged vertical section takenthrough the meeting rails of the sashes in a window on line III-III,Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line IVIV,Fig. I and through one of the posts and adjacent portions of the windowsashes. Fig. V is a perspective view of the upper and lower windowsashes removed from the window. Fig. VI is an elevation of the upper andlower sashes at one side thereof.

A designates the window posts of my car which are provided with theusual sash runways which in my improvement extends into a space Bbetween the deck roof O and the deck ceiling D of the car.

E is an upper window sash and F is a lower window sash both adapted tobe raised and lowered between the window posts A in order that they maybe elevated combinedly into the space between the deck roof and ceilingas will hereinafter appear. The lower sash is also adapted to be raisedand lowered relative to the upper sash while said lower sash remains inits lowered position as will also hereinafter appear.

1 designates runners that have channel shaped bodies in which the stilesof the upper sash E are fitted and the rear walls of which are made ofopen form in order that the edges of the stiles of the sash which fitinto said bodies may be allowed to project in part through said wallswith the object in View of providing for the upper sash being madewiderthan is necessary in order that the stiles may be dressed down to adegree that will. cause them to fit snugly against the basis of therunways in the window posts in which the runners 1 operate when theupper sash is raised and lowered. By the construction stated I amenabled to make the upper sash of sufiicient widthto permit of its beingsnugly mounted between the window posts in a manner to prevent lateralmovement-of the sash with the result of obviating rattling thereofagainst the basis of the runways in the window posts. The body of eachrunner 1 is suitably secured to the upper sash stile to which the runneris fitted, with which object in view, the body of each runner isprovided with ears adapted to receive screws or other fastening meansthat are passed through the ears and seated in the stiles of the sash.Each runner 1 has, as an integral part thereof, a flanged wing 2parallel with the runner within which exists a channel that is adaptedto receive the lower sash F. At the front of each flanged wing 2 andadjacent to the bottom of said wing is an eye or'keeper 3 in which theaperture extends horizontally, as seen in Fig. V, and which is adaptedto receive the bolt of a latch carried by the lower sash, as willhereinafter appear.

4 are lugs formed integral with the flanged wings 2 of the runners 1 andadapted to, by bearing against the inner walls of the runways in thewindow posts, serve as anti rattler members to prevent movement of therunners in inward and outward directions while said runners are inlowered positions in the window post runways.

5 designates channel shaped runners attached to the stiles of the lowerwindow sash F and adapted to operate in the runways in the flanged wings2 of the runners 1 when the lower sash is raised and lowered relative tothe upper sash while said upper sash is in lowered position and alsoadapted to seat and operate in the portions of the window post runwaysbeneath the upper sash. The rear walls of the runners 5 are of open formorder that the edges of the lower sash stiles that are'seated in saidrunners may project through said walls to be dressed down to the desireddegree with the object of causing them to fit snugly-against the basisof the window post runways beneath the upper sash and in the runways inthe flanged wings of the runners 1. The inner flange of each lower sashrunner 5 is preferably widened at 6 at the lower end of the runner, seeFigs. I and V. 7 are latches mounted upon the widened portions of therunners just referred to and which include bolts that are adapted toenter into eyes or keepers 3 that are carried by the wings of therunners 1 in order that the lower sash may be con-' nected to the lastmentioned runners 1 when said sash is elevated and nested along with theupper sash in said runners. For the purpose of restricting the degree ofupward movement of the lower sash when it is elevated into the flangedwings of the runners 1 in the nesting of the sashes and the connectionof the lower sash to the runners by the latches I provide stop lips 2that extend in wardly from the flanges of the wings 2 and in the path ofupward movement of said latches and against which the latches areadapted to strike when the lower sash is elevated into the runners 1.

8 designates catch plates that are fixed to the window posts A and areadapted to receive the bolts of the latches 7 when the lower sash israised and lowered in the ordinary use of the car in a closed conditionto provide desired ventilation while the upper sash remains in a loweredposition.

When both the upper and lower sashes in the car are to be removed fromthe window openings to convert thecar from a condition for winterservice to a condition for summer service, the lower sash in each windowis elevated until its latches 7 strike against the stop lips 2 of theupper sash runners and the bolts of said latches have become engaged inthe eyes or keepers of said runners. The upper and lower sashes arethereby nested and are then lifted combinedly into the space B withinthe deck of the car in which they are sustained by causing the loweredge of each lower sash to rest upon a bracket 9 fixed to an outer wallof the car within the space, as seen in Figs. I and II.

As seen in Fig. III, one of the meeting rails of the window sashes hasfixed thereto a flexible strip 10 that is adapted to bear against themeeting rail of the other sash for the purpose of preventin the entranceof air or dirt between the sas es when they are in closed position. Thisstrip is preferably attached to the meeting rail of the upper sash andis so illustrated in the drawings.

I claim:

1. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways, an upper sash, runners fixed to said upper sash adapted tooperate in the runways in said posts and having flanged wings parallelwith the runners and providing channels, and a lower sash arranged tooperate in the runways of said posts and movable into the channelsformed by the flanged wings of said upper sash runners, substantially asset forth.

2. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways, an upper sash, runners fixed to said upper sash adapted tooperate in the runways in said posts and having flanged wings, a lowersash, and runners fixed to said lower sash and adapted to operate in therunways in said posts and movable into the flanged wings of said uppersash runners, substantially as set forth.

3. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways, runners fixed to said upper sash and having flanged wingsprovided with stop lips, a lower sash, runners operable in the runwaysof said posts and movable into the flanged wings of said u er sashrunners, and latches carried by said lower sash arranged for engagementwith the stop lips of said upper sash runners when the lower sash iselevated into the flanged wings of said runners, substantially as setforth.

4. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways,

an upper sash, runners fixed to said upper sash and having flanged wingsprovided with keepers, a lower sash runners fixed. to said lower sashand operable in the runways in said posts and movable into the flangedwings of said u er sash runners, and latches carried by saicFlbwer sashand arranged for engagement with the keepers of said upper sash runners,substantially as set forth.

5. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways, a sash situated between said posts, and runners fixed tosaid sash and having apertured rear walls through which the stiles ofsaid sash project, substantially as set forth.

6. In a semi-convertible car, the combination of window posts providedwith runways, an upper sash situated between said posts, runners fixedto said upper sash operable in the runways of said posts-and havingapertured rear walls through which the stiles of said sash extend, alower sash operable in the runways of said posts and in the runners ofthe upper sash; said lower sash runners having apertured rear wallsthrough which the stiles of said lower sash project, substantially M. C.MURPHY, ARTHUR DIOKMANN.

as set forth.

